Axially engaging multiple disk clutch



Sgpi. 13, 1949. FOSTER 2,481,834

AXIALLY ENGAGING MULTIPLE DISK CLUTCH Filed Feb. 10, 1948 INvENToR' BY H \S ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, 1949 AXIALLY ENGAGING MULTIPLEDISK CLUTCH John Foster, Denton, England, assignor to .B. & i

\ S. Massey Limited England Openshaw, Manchester,

Application February 10, 1948, Serial No. 7,327 In Great Britain February ll, 1947 4 Claims. (01. 192-69) This invention relates to improvements in friction clutches being applicable more particularly to friction clutches of the multi-plate type, but also applicable to clutches having a single driving plate and a single driven plate.

When a friction clutch of the multi-plate type as heretofore constructed is in disengaged or free running condition, the clutch plates enmeshed with the continuously rotating driver are allowed to run loose diametrically and axially to the extent of the working clearances.

In some cases springs are interposed between the plates to assist in breaking the suction effect on the flat surfaces and to hold the plates in correct spacedposition in the free running condition.

It is necessary that the diametral clearance of large clutches should be considerable in order to allow 'for the expansion due to heating of the plates when taking up the load, and particularly so in clutches where the outer plates are the driving plates.

This relatively large. clearance allowsa movement of the plates in the splined housing to take place at every revolution when the clutch is disengaged, whereby a hammering effect is produced on the splines which in time causes indentation of the mating surfaces. This hammering effect is cumulative; as the indentation increases, so does the hammer blow on the splines, and so on, until there is a final break-down of the splines, or the indentations become such as to prevent axial movement of the plates and therefore correct engagement of the clutch. This hammering effect is very pronounced in clutches which run for much of their time with the plates in disengaged condition.

This invention overcomes the foregoing disadvantage by providing a clutch in which the drivin plate or driving plates is or are spring held in or on a conical or wedge seating or seatings when the clutch is in the disengaged or free running condition.

The invention is applicable both to clutches in which the driving plates are furnished with external splines, e. g., splines on their outer periphery, and to clutches in which the driving plates are provided with internal splines.

A friction clutch according to the invention includes a driving clutch element freely mounted on the shaft or rotor to be driven and adapted to be rotated, a driven clutch element splined on said shaft or rotor, at least one driving plate formed with external splines engaging splines presented by the driving clutch element and having z an external annular conical seating, at least one driven plate adapted to be moved against the driving plate and having splines engaging the driven clutch element, said' driving clutch element being formed with an internal conical seating registering with .the conical seating on the driving plate, whereby, when the clutch is in disengaged condition, the conical seating on the driving clutch element engages the conical seating on the driving plate and thus supports the driving plate. Y

- Compression springs may be interposed between the driving plates and also between the driving clutch element and the adjacent driving plate. I

In clutches having a multiplicity of driving and driven plates-compression springs may be interposed between the driving plates and also between the driving clutch element and the adjacentdriving plate.

Advantageously, the splinesiand conical seatings in the driving clutch element may be arranged as alternate rings bolted to one another and to said clutcli'element. 1

In a clutch operated by compressed air, the splines and conical seatings are also bolted to the air cylinder, and the outer plate immediately adjacent to the air cylinder is bolted to a piston slidable in the cylinder. Air inlet and exit means are provided as usual in the cylinder whereby the piston may be moved in one direction to press the friction plates together, compression springs being provided to return the air piston and the attached outer plate to initial position.

A practical embodiment of the invention is i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional View of a friction clutch constructed according to the invention and Fig. 2 a fragmentary sectional view, drawn to a larger scale, of a detail part of Fig. 1. In the drawings i denotes the driving clutch element freely mounted on the shaft 2. 3 denotes the driven clutch element splined to the shaft 2. 4 denotes the driving plates formed with external splines 5 engaging splines 6 on the driving clutch element I, said driving plates 4 being each formed with an external annular conical seating l. 8 denotes the driven plates formed with splines 9 engaging the driven clutch element 3. l0 denotes rings bolted to the driving clutch element and formed with conical seatings engageable with the conical seatings 1 on the driving plates 4. l i denotes compression springs interposed be tween the driving plates 4, and I2 denotes compression springs interposed between the end driving plate 4 and the driving clutch element I. I3 denotes an air cylinder in which is slidable a piston l4 bolted to the drivingplates 4, leakage past the piston l4 being prevented by a flexible sealing ring I5. l6 denotes a drawback spring for returning the piston 14; I1 denotes '-'compressed air inletaports fonmed an axial extension l8 of the cylinder l3. I9 denotes a ring encircling the part of the axial extension l8 formed with the ports l1, said ring being free on theextension l8 and being adapted to receive one end of an air hose 20. The driving element I is rotated by a belt wrapping the outer ssun'faice of said ele ment. a

In practice, when the driving clutch element I is rotating and it is desired toengagethe clutch to cause the shaft 2 to rotate, air under pressure is admitted to the cylinder l3 which is rtating with the driving clutch element '1, the ring l9 remainin stationary. The piston 14 moves away from the'cylinder 1 3 moves the driving plates 4 and thedriven'plates 8:t0gether, the splines 5 and EB permitting "axial movement of the plates '4 and 8', and transmitting the drive from the driving clutch element 1 to the driven clutch element 3 which is-tfixed on the shaft 2. To disengage the-01U1I0h,air is released from the cylinder 13 and :the springs H, 112 and I6 move the driving plates t. along the splines B'out of engagementwith the driven plates 8, thereby disengagin the clutch. The springs M and 12 move the driving plates :4 the splines 6, until the annular conical seating 7 on each plate 4 engages the seating'on thecorresponding ring ID. The plates 4 are thus held rigidly while the clutc'hj'is disengaged. r r

A friction clutch asdeseribed embody-ingconicalseating-s and compression isprings is entirely free from any hammeringactionon the splines when the clutch is running in disengaged con-- dition with consequeirtinerease'in. the working life of the clutch. J

- What is claimed w:

1. A friction clutch 1a rotatable driv- "4 7 ing clutch element freely mounted on a rotor to be driven and presenting splines, a driventclutch element splined on said rotor, at least one drivin plate formed with external splines engaging the splines Presented by said driving clutch element arri'dha ing an externalannnlaryconical seating, at least one driven plateadapted to be moved against said driving plate and having ,spzlines engaging saiddriven clutch element, said drivingclutchwelement being provided with at least one internal conical seating registering with, the external conical seatin on said driving plate,

and thus supporting said driving plate.

:2. A friction. clutch as claimed in claim 1 in which there" ispa multiplicity of driving and driven plates disposed alternately, and compression springs are interposed between the driving plates and also between the driving clutch 'elenrentandthe adjacent driving plate.

3. A friction clutch 'as claimed in claim 1 in whichthere is a multiplicityofxdriving and drivenplates disposed" alternately, and: the splines" presented by the driving chitch'element andcin-r tern-a1, conical seatings are r' -formediini alternate rings fastened-to one anetherjand said drive ing clutch-element."

r '4. A friction clutch which there'is amu-ltiplicitycf dnivingand driven plates disposed alternately, and (the driving plates are -operatively connected to :a piston mov able by fluid pressure, i 7, JOHN EO$TER;.

V CIT-ED The *followingfrefierences Me of record in the file of this patent: W

w j UNI mD-S'I'ATES'PKI'ENTS; 7 Number" v 1' Date I as, claimed inc-claim: lind 

